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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-12-14, Page 1«w***»~—... jwusA ^iija IJ1BHIOLUUWIIU'- L.g?THW Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Only 80% of claims accepted by FPB The waiting game of seeing who gets paid how much to compensate for losses suffered in the October collapse of Brussels Stockyards has become more like a lottery as beef producers wait to see who will be the winners. Gill Shaw of the Ontario Beef VOL. 4 NO. 50 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1988.45 CENTS Financial Protection Fund Board (FPB) told The Citizen Monday that Many hands make light work, and in less than a day the twisted mass of wreckage left behind at the Siebolt Siertsema farm at RR1, Auburn, the result of a$250,000 fire on December 4, was cleaned up when a crew of 30-35 friends and neighbours gathered to lend a hand. The women prepared meals and fed the crew, while the men braved bitter winds to clean the debris, above, from the main barn last Wednesday, where many of the same men had risked their lives the night of the fire rescuing the Siertsema’s high-production dairy herd. about 80 per cent of the claims submitted to theboard prior to its meeting in Toronto on December 5 had been approved, and that the cheques for the insured 90 per cent of those dollars were in the mail to producers. But he also admitted that “about 20 per cent’’ of the 100 claims submitted, for a total of $800,000 had been rejected by the board, with the board approving payment of only about $500,000 of that total. He refused to give the reason that close to $300,000 in claims had been turned down, but cited several reasons “that could apply.’’ “Basically (the rejected claims) fell outside the guidelines of the (FPB) program, which you must remember was set up by beef producers themselves, ’ ’ he said. He went on to explain several of the reasons why a claim might be rejected, including the one that maintains a producer must cash a cheque received in payment for slaughter cattle within five banking days of receiving it. He added tnat rejected producers could appeal the board’s decision, but indicated they would have to produce “some pretty strong new evidence’ ’ before the Continued on page 10 Rookie councillors learn ropes at Blyth council Brussels council sworn in at inaugural Brussels Village council held its inaugural meeting on December 6, immediately following the swear­ ing-in of council and PUC members by Rev. Charles Carpentier, who admonished each one in turn to “look well after your job and after the interests of those who elected you.’’ Returned Reeve J. Gordon Work­ man and returned councillor Bruce Hahn were the first to be sworn in, followed by new councillors Dave Hastings, Mary Stretton and Greg Wilson, and by returned PUC member Henry Exel and new PUC memberGerry Wheeler. Clerk-trea­ surer Hugh Hanly. assistant clerk Donna White and Public Works employee Don Crawford were also in attendance throughout the meeting. “ Welcome to Dodge City coun­ cil.’’joked Reeve Workman in a reference to the some times-fiery sessions of an earlier council. He then warned all present that all decisions regarding council busi­ ness “will be made in this chamber, and once a decision is made, it’s made. You can’t change your mind the next day.” The first item of business for the newlv-elected council was to ask Mr. Hanly to prepare an amending bylaw by.the ue.At meeting to scrap the minute of site he'd'fraditioHaliy usdd council of which he is aware uses the procedure, even though Mr. Hahn Continued on page 2 to open Brussels council meetings. Discussion was opened with Reeve Workman pointing out that no other Citizen's Christmas hours There are only two issues of The Citizen left in 1988, this issue and the the special Christmas issue of next week. The Citizen will not publish on December 28 in order to give staff vacation time. Since Christmas is on a Sunday this week deadlines will remain the Christmas issue that will be deliver­ ed on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The one on Wednesday, Ded.’^f. Thetme exception is that any advertising for editorial matter specifically for the Christmas section of the paper should be received by Friday at 4 p.m. Because of the vacation period for thepaper, theCitizen’sBrussels office will be open on Dec. 21, then closed until Dec. 28. The Blyth office will close Dec. 22 and reopen Dec. With four rookie councillors tak­ ing part in their first meeting, Blyth village council spent a night working slowly through a light agenda when the inaugural meetingof council was held Dec. 6. Councillors Ken Brown, Shirley Fyfe, Dave Lee and Dave Medd as well as returning Reeve Albert Wasson were sworn in at the beginning of the meeting. Rev. John Roberts spoke to the council about the offices they have taken on. In any kind of government there is a moral obligation as well as a legal obligation, he said. Morality in government depends on adhesion to certain standards, he told the council. He also stressed the aspect of service in their jobs. Those who take part in government are servants and are accountable to the elector­ ate, he said. Reeve Wasson thanked Rev. Roberts and said the ceremony brings home to the councillors the seriousness of their new positions. The ramifications of the Blyth Festival’s new building on Dinsley Street caused more discussion than any other topic in the first meeting. The discussion started when Merv Ritchie, village works department foreman expressed concern about the ability of the storm drain in the area tocarry the extra roof runoff that will be caused by the new building attached to the Festival’s Continued on page 6